There is a difference between confessional knowledge and functional knowledge. There are truths that we know in our hearts and confess with our mouths (that's confessional knowledge) and then there are truths which we know in our hearts and live out in our lives (that's functional knowledge). Too often, there's a gap between the two. Lately I've been thinking about this as...

This past Sunday I began the sermon by talking about vindication. I said, "Everyone wants to be vindicated, proven to be in the right. Too often the desire for vindication comes in midst of conflict. One person sees things one way, the other person sees things another way and they both think they're right. They both want to be proven right and more than that, they often w...

As we meditated on James 3:13-18 this past Sunday, we thought a lot about humility. As I look forward to the text that we'll study, Lord willing, this coming Sunday (James 4:1-12), it is clear that humility is going to be something that we're considering again. As I've prayerfully read over the text these last couple of days, I've been thinking again about Jonathan Edwards...

I have a chance to walk with sinners every day, but I've got to tell you about my most difficult case me. I am the most difficult sinner that I walk with because I know myself and my heart. There is still far too much darkness in my own heart that I need the light of Christ to dispel. So, I can say with Paul in Romans 7:24, "Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me fro...

As we were studying John 8, I spent some time reflecting on what it means to be enslaved to sin. I encouraged non-Christians to be set free by embracing Christ, and I encouraged Christians to keep living in their freedom. While I didn't have the time at the time, I wanted to spend more time dwelling on sin and slavery. I wanted to do so in part to help us as Christians rel...